Improvement in post-marking stamp-canceling machines



crear taies @wat @pitre HIMSELF AND .MCCORD &` WHEATLEY, OF SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent No. 109,882, dated December 6, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN POST-MARKING STAMPCANCELING MCHINES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent: and making part of the same.

I, CHARLES E. DoNNnLLAx, of Indarmpolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain Improvements in Machines for Post-Marking Letters and Canceling the Stamps thereon, of which the following is a specification.

Nature and Objects of the Invention;

My invention consists in tlrecombination alrd arrangement of a type-wheel orl cylinder having thc requisite post-mark and canceling-type iixed to its periphery; the inking device; the feed device, in which the letters are placed, and' by which they are fed, one at a time, to the post-marking cylinder', and the receiving device, in which' they are hunched, convenient for removal, all ot which several parts are arranged and properly geared together, and operated by means of a crank, as will be described in detail hereafter.

,lhe object of the invention is to post-mark letters and cancel the stamps thereon with greater' rapidity and efficiency than heretofore.

Description of the Accompanying Drau-tay.

Figure l is a top or plan view of a post-marking and stamp-canceling machine errrbodying my inve'ntion;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig-ure 3 represents an end view of the machine, where the letters are first placed; and

Figure v4, anv end view of the machine, where the periphery. The type-wheel .maybe of dia-meter to contain one cancelingtype to extendv across the longest oiiicial envelope, or it may be large enough to contain two or more, as may he required.

C is a friction vcondnoting-wheel, ofthe same diameter as the typewheel B, placed above it, as shown, with space between itvand the type-wheel for a band. lhere may also'be a friction conducting-wheel similar to C below the type-wheel, if required.

D is a pressure-roll hung in an arm, E, to press the letters againstthe periphery of .the type-wheel.

F is a pressure-roll hung in a similar arm, E', that holds the letters against the friction conducting-roll C.

The inking device consists ot' the distributing and inning-rollers G G' G",'arranged 'similar' to the irrlring aliparatus of an ordinary printing-press.

lhe feeding device consists ot' the elastic rotating cams H, the compensating holder I, guide-wires J, and elastic stop K.

The receiving device consists of thefriction com ducting-wheel L, which is. driven `by a band from a. pulley between the type-wheel Band friction conducting-wheel C, the compensating holder M, and the adjustable stop N, the latter being arranged to adapt it to letters ot' various length.

The letters arc hunched in convenient parcels, and are placed in thc ieeding device, as shown at 0, between the-guide-wircs J and the compensating holder Lthe latter being held against the letters by ,means of a spring or, preferably, by a weight, so that the pressure will be the same for any number of letters. The compensating holder I. holds the letters iirmly against the guide-wires J, and the rotating elasticv cams H drive the one next the wires forward until it is taken hold of lhy the friction cornlucting-wheel C and pressure-roll l", which, together ,with the typewheel 13 and pressure-roll D, carries it through between the type-wheel and pressure-roll, where it is post-marked and the stamp canceled. Thefmward end ot' the letter is then caught between thc rotating friction conducting-roll L andthe compensating holder M, and driven forward against the stop N, wher-c they are hunched as when placed in the feed device.

The object ofthe stop K is 'to prevent but one letter passing ont ot the feed device at a time, and this may be adjusted so as-to adapt it to letters of various thickness. n v

rlhe feed-cams are. rotated from a cogwheel, l, bexlow and on the shaft ot` type-wheel JS, which gears with a similar wheel, Q, on vthc lower end of the shaft of the set oi' feed-cams nearest the type-wheel.

`Asmallcr cog-wheel, lt, just above wheel Q, gears with an idler', lt', and this again with a cog-wheel, R, on the' shaft of the iirst set of feed-cams H,so as to rotate themboth iu the samedireetion, as indicated by the arrows on iig. 1.

XVhcn the type-wheel B is furnished with but one post-marking and stamp-canceling type, it and the" feed-cams H and friction conducting-wheel L of the receiving device are geared to revolve at the -same speed, or to make thesame number oi'reyolnt-ions, so that they will be uniform in their action in feeding, post-rnarking, arnl receiving the letters. But when the type-wheel has two or more post-marking and canceling-types, the feed-earrrs-will' have to .be geared to rotate two or more times faster to correspond.

By making the type-wheel oi' large dimensions, and

placing on its periphery but one post-marking and canceling-type, several i'eed and receiving or bunchingdevices may be employed, by which means the postmarking of letters and the cancelation ot' the stamps thereon, may be greatly expedited. rlhe feed devices may be adjusted to ict-ters of various thickness, and the receiving device to those of various length.

Where there are severalfeeding devices, it will be .eeessary'to have a separate set of' hiking-rolls fory ach.

l do not wish to confine myself to the horizontal osition of the feed, n'ir'lting, and receiving-wheels, as hey may be made to operate vertically, if desired.

llle machine is operated by means oi' a crank, S, on 11e shaft of which is a bevelwheel, T, that gears with t bevel-wheel on the shaft of the type-wheel.V

It will be understood that this machine can be niade t' suiiicient size and adapted to print business and )ther partis, cards on envelopes, small posters, and ther similar painting, as the arrangement and rela- ;ion of' the feed-earns H, gnide-wires J, and flexible stop K are 'such that, by suitable adj nstment of the ;top K, the machine may be lnade to feed singlc'sheets )t thin paper orthiek card-board wit-h equal facility.

The wheel B may be provided on its periphery with t post-marking and canceling device, so that it can be readilyremoved and cleansed, and Vwheels bearing the months, days, and years on their periphery may be placed wit-hin the wheel B, so as to change the date ais required.

I do not wish to confine myself to the cams H for carrying the letters forward, as this may be done by a vibrating plate of rubbei" or other device. An airpump may be used to cause the letters to adhere to the carrier-plate.

The canceling-type may be so constructed and applied to the wheel B as to print fine lines, of any desired pattern, over the face of the letter.

Claims.

I claim as my invention- 1. rlhe combination of the elastic stop K, compensating holder I, wires J, and series of cams H, placed on vertical shafts, with spaces between the cams, subi stantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

2. '.Lhe guide-wires J, elastic stop K, and elastic rotating'cams H, in combination with the pressure-rolls D F, type-wheel B, and friction commuting-wheel C, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

3. The receiving device, consisting of the friction comincting-roll L, compensating holder M, and adjustable stop N, arranged substantially as set forth.

CHARLES E. DONNELLAN.

XVi tnesses:

T. B. HORNADAY, O. F. NIAYHIGW. 

